Urban Camping by Peter Tombrowski

No critic rating

Waiting for minimum critic reviews

Synopsis

More than just a book about living without a vehicle, Urban Camping also focuses on the Tombrowski family's resulting smaller footprint living and frugality. By not owning a vehicle – the family's initial austerity measure – their life has been shaped in profound ways.

Peter and Andrea Tombrowski and their two young children have lived without a vehicle in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, since 1998. Their stomping grounds, once a suburb of Calgary, is the setting for the adventures, challenges, trials and joys of their 13-year journey. For this family, 'urban camping' means living well with limited resources in an urban environment. (No, the family doesn't live in a tent; they pay rent.)

Part One of the book focuses on the family's smaller footprint living, small apartment, public transportation, travelling with children, employment, food, weather, clothing and equipment choices.

Part Two of Urban Camping details seventeen trips the Tombrowski family has made over the past decade. Read about how they shop for groceries, why “fast food” isn't very quick for them, three-hour commutes to the doctor's office, their travels to distant relatives, along with descriptions of other treks. These trips reflect the family's hands-on reality and demonstrate what is possible when individuals transcend the challenges in their life.

The driving (no pun intended) motto behind the Tombrowski's physical, emotional and mental resilience is: Work with what you have, stay positive and make things happen.

In light of the world's ongoing economic crisis, Peter and Andrea Tombrowski ask: “What part of your life can you forgo that will challenge you to become more skilled at living and surviving your life better?”